Sandusky Heights
by Rebel Smith
Summary: A small harbor town next to Lake Eerie is the backdrop of this original fic based loosely on BTVS. Adelaide moves to Sandusky Heights her senior year of high school, just in time to meet a cast of characters who are actively working behind the scenes to keep the citizens of Sandusky Heights, and the world, just a little bit safer. Lesbian romance story line. Riverdale vibes.
1. Vacancy in Sandusky Heights

Sandusky Heights

An original work based loosely on Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Written By: Rebel Smith

©2018

 **Chapter I:**

 **Vacancy in Sandusky Heights**

It had been a few hours since Adelaide and her mother left the bright bustling streets of Chicago. Adelaide had lost count of how many cornfields they'd passed, but it felt like hundreds. There was an eerie sense of seclusion to the roads of Ohio. It felt as if they were driving farther and farther away from the rest of the world. Her father, Oliver, had enjoyed a successful career as a real estate developer in the Windy City, and had overseen many prominent projects that had rewarded him handsomely throughout the years, but after his passing, the money dried up quickly. The hospital bills and funeral expenses alone wiped out their savings. The life insurance policy barely covered the debt Oliver left behind. Amelia could no longer afford the high rent of their Lake Shore Drive apartment, so she was left with few options other than to return to her hometown of Sandusky Heights, Ohio - a place Adelaide had scarcely heard of, and never visited. Nevertheless, the pair had ultimately remained optimistic about their futures. They relied heavily on each other through Oliver's untimely death, and in many ways it had brought them closer. However, tonight's car ride had been quiet and dreary.

The rain pitter-pattered down on the car, and Adelaide was frequently drifting off into solitary thought with the steady hypnotic rhythm of the wiper blades. By nature, she was a confident young woman, well liked among her cohorts, a model student, and a talented young actress. She was expected to secure the female lead in her senior play, _Our Town_. It was a challenge and opportunity she had very much looked forward to, a true test of her capability to own the stage, and win over the audience _._ It could have potentially gotten her some notability in the local acting community had she achieved her ambitions. At the very least, it would have been a wonderful addition to her portfolio and resume. She assumed that role would likely go to Caitlyn Fitzpatrick now, since she was her primary competition. Adelaide wasn't the pretentious type, but she doubted Caitlyn's ability to truly capture the spirit and charisma of Emily Webb; the sincerity of the character would be lost on her.

Adelaide leaned her head against the passenger side window and gently sighed. Starting her senior year at a new high school hundreds of miles away was now going to be her most demanding performance. She didn't blame her mother for the move, nor did she hold any resentment against her; she was mature enough to understand the reasons behind why it had happened, and honestly, once her mother got settled in, Adelaide imagined she'd return to Chicago for college. Perhaps, she'd even continue on with a modest acting career.

At long last, the dim orange glowing lights of what appeared to be a suburb came into view; the last of the cornfields were finally behind them. This sparked Adelaide's attention, and she sat up in her seat just in time to read the "Welcome to Sandusky Heights" road sign as her mother drove passed.

"This is it?" Adelaide asked.

"This is it," replied Amelia. "We're going to spend tonight in a motel, but we'll meet the realtor first thing tomorrow morning and get the keys to our new home."

"What about Grandma?"

Amelia chuckled lightly, "Your grandma can't wait to see you, sweetheart."

"Couldn't we stay with her tonight instead?"

The rain tapered off into a drizzle, just as Amelia turned onto Cold Harbor Road; a bright blue neon sign shaped like a bird came into view. Adelaide could make out the words _Mockingbird Motel,_ underneath it. "We are," Amelia answered with a serious tone as she pulled into a parking space, and turned off the ignition to the car.

Adelaide looked around the motel parking lot puzzled, "I don't understand. Does Grandma live at a motel?"

All of a sudden, the side door of the motel swung open and an older woman came galloping out into the darkness yelling, "There they are! My girls are finally here!"

"Remember, hold your judgments; it's all a little different here," Amelia gently reminded right before she opened her car door.

Magdalena embraced her daughter tightly, wrapping her arms around Amelia and rocking slightly from side to side. Her enthusiasm was candid and refreshing. Adelaide felt a smile creep across her face at the sight of the two women reunited. Magdalena shifted focus to her granddaughter, now standing patiently by the front of the car. She paused for a moment to briefly admire what a beautiful young woman she had become. She had her mother's soft brown curls and her father's intense, icy blue eyes. She looked wiser beyond her years, and she had a sense of resiliency about her, but she still managed to appear delicate, and it remained noticeable she was shouldering the sorrowful burdens of her father's death.

"Adelaide, I barely recognize you. You're all grown up." Magdalena spoke sweetly into the cool air. Her eyes whelmed up with tears, and she cleared the lump that had formed in her throat, "I tell ya, those photos your mama's sent me don't do you justice, darlin'." She pulled Adelaide into her arms and rubbed her shoulders affectionately, "Lets get you gals out of the rain, huh? Come on, come on, don't worry about your bags, I'll have Calvin bring them in," she ushered the girls into the motel.

Adelaide felt as if she had suddenly stepped back through time. The motel lobby looked like something straight out of a 1950's movie set. All the furniture and décor appeared to be the original, and it had been kept in remarkable condition. An old-fashioned cigarette machine stood snuggly next to a wall payphone. The powder blue lobby chairs were arranged neatly in a semi-circle around a vintage Danish triangular coffee table. There was a rainbow of different neon colored signs placed around the motel, actual room keys hung freely on hooks behind the check-in counter, and somewhere, there was a record player softly performing the sounds of Patsy Cline.

"Now, listen, I fixed a special room for you two," Magdalena took Adelaide by the hand and led her down to the end of the hallway, "I wanted to make sure you a got a good night's rest after that long car ride. Are you hungry? I'll have Calvin walk down to Trudy's Diner and get you a burger… and a shake… oh, and a piece of Trudy's homemade apple pie."

"Mom, you don't have to make such a fuss over us," Amelia reassured as she followed behind, "We're fine."

Magdalena stopped outside of room number 7; she turned and stared impassively at her daughter, "Well, I know that."

"I think it's really neat here, Grandma," Adelaide smiled. "Thank you for everything."

Magdalena's face lit up with joy, "You're welcome, love." She looked over to Amelia, "Millie, you could take a page out of Adelaide's book when it comes to good manners."

Amelia smirked, "Yes, ma'am."

"Excuse me," a young male voice called out from the lobby, "Ms. Maggie, I'm sorry, but I can't get the bags, the trunk is locked."

Magdalena called back down the hallway, "Just a moment, Calvin!" She opened the door to room 7, and Amelia stepped inside, Adelaide was about to follow behind her mother, but Magdalena stopped her, "Adelaide, will you be a dear, and take the keys to Calvin while I help your mama get settled?"

"Umm… sure."

Amelia handed her the keys, "Don't stay outside too long," she cautioned.

"What? You worried she's going to run off with Calvin?" Magdalena laughed, "Hah, not a chance. His shift isn't over till 9pm, and his father picks him up at 9:05 on the dot, every night. That boy's leash is shorter than a bee's knees." She motioned to Adelaide, "Go on, now."

Adelaide walked back towards the lobby, as she turned the corner of the hallway, she spotted a tall teenage male lazily leaned up against the counter. He was wearing a red and white letterman jacket, a black V-neck t-shirt, and tight blue jeans. He even wore the classic black and white Chuck Taylor Converse shoes. His sandy blonde hair was shaved short up to about the crown of his head, but longer and a little messy on top. Adelaide's first impression was that he looked like he belonged in a hipster band. He casually glanced over at her, but then quickly did a double take, and stood up straight. He nervously chuckled, "Sorry, I was expecting Ms. Maggie."

"You're off by a couple generations," Adelaide ribbed. "Here," she handed him the key. "Would you like some help?" she nodded towards the parking lot.

"Yeah, yeah, I mean… if you don't mind."

"I don't mind."

"Cool…" Calvin fiddled with the keys in his hands, "I'm Calvin."

"So I've heard." Adelaide extended her hand, "I'm Adelaide."

Calvin reached out to shake her hand, "I've heard about you too." He let go of her hand and quickly shoved it into his pocket. "I've heard a lot about you, actually. Ms. Maggie just raves about you. Honestly."

"That's sweet of her; she barely knows me." Adelaide glimpsed out the lobby window and realized it had started to rain steadily again. "We should hurry, before the rain picks up more."

"Oh, ah, yeah, yeah, we should," Calvin stammered. "We should definitely do that." He quickly surveyed the lobby, "I'm sure Ms. Maggie has an umbrella around here somewhere…" His eyes landed upon an umbrella stand tucked behind the cigarette machine. He grabbed a large black umbrella, "Ah, here go. Perfect." He escorted Adelaide outside, holding the umbrella above her to help keep her dry.

Meanwhile, back in room 7, Amelia and Magdalena were having a rather frank discussion about Oliver's passing and Amelia's return to Sandusky Heights. It had been a long kept secret from Adelaide why Oliver and Amelia never mentioned Sandusky Heights, why they only rarely mentioned Magdalena, and never brought Adelaide to visit. There were times in her childhood it did seem peculiar, but Adelaide had never pushed too hard for answers, she reasoned her mother left Sandusky Heights to live in a big city, and to marry a successful businessman, just like her father had been. After the cancer diagnosis, Adelaide's concerns were consumed by her father's well being. It wasn't until after his death, when Amelia mentioned moving back to Ohio, that Adelaide remembered Sandusky Heights even existed.

Magdalena and Amelia sat down on the bed next to each other. Maggie placed a hand on Amelia's shoulder, "I hate that it took Oliver's death to bring you back to me," Magdalena shook her head regrettably. "And I wish I could have been there with you at the funeral, I hope you know that."

"I do, mama," Amelia replied tenderly.

"I have missed you so much all these years…" Magdalena sighed. "Lord knows I wish I could have been a bigger part of Adelaide's life."

"Well, we're here now, aren't we?" Amelia sniffled and quickly wiped a few tears from her eyes. She sniffled again, but quickly composed herself, "My goodness, just when I thought I didn't have any more tears left to cry."

"And here I've managed to squeeze a few more out of you."

Magdalena's eyes wandered around the room, but then landed back on Amelia. "I just want you to know, that whatever you need, whatever Adelaide needs, I'll get, I'll do it, or I'll hire someone who can. You just say the word and it's done," she assured. "I don't want neither of you worrying about a thing."

Amelia stood from the bed and began to pace around the room, "We're meeting with the realtor tomorrow morning, and the movers should be here tomorrow afternoon, so my primary concern is just getting everything into place before it's time for Adelaide to start school this fall. I want this to be as smooth of a transition as possible for her." Amelia ran her fingers anxiously through her hair, "I hope I've made the right choice. She's been through so much already."

"Have you told her anything? You know, about..."

Amelia turned around abruptly to face her mother, "No," she interjected. "And you have to promise that you won't either."

Magdalena scoffed, "Millie, you can't protect her forever. I can promise you _I_ won't say anything, but what about everyone else? How long until someone else tells her? Would you rather she hears it from a classmate? A stranger? And besides, she needs to know what to do in case anything ever _happens_."

Amelia closed her eyes and titled her head back with a sigh. She sat down next to her mother, "I'll tell her, but when I'm ready."

Magdalena nodded, "All right." She patted Amelia's hand, "Well, how about that burger and shake, hmm? Let's see if Calvin's managed to find his way back from the car."

 **II**

The next morning, Adelaide and Amelia woke early and got dressed. The sun was shinning, and the town looked different in the daylight. Adelaide could now see that the motel was built on top of a hill that overlooked a harbor for Lake Erie. There was a dock with several boats lined up along it stretching across the rocky coastline. In a way, it reminded her of the view from their old apartment on Lake Shore Drive, yet it was distinctly different. The motel definitely had more character than her old apartment building in Chicago, and the rocky harbor appeared more jagged and bleak than the sandy shorelines of back home.

As they drove down Cold Harbor Road, and into the small town of Sandusky Heights, Adelaide began to notice nuances about her new surroundings. It was becoming apparent it wasn't just her grandmother's motel that appeared frozen in time, but several of the businesses had kept their vintage décor and style. As they passed Trudy's Diner, Adelaide saw waitresses bringing food to customers who were parked in their cars. Across the street from the diner was a General Store, and next door to that was a Coin Laundromat.

Then, as Amelia turned passed Sycamore Street, Adelaide's mouth gaped open, "No way," she whispered. "Mom, is that a drive in movie theater?"

Amelia nodded, "Yep, one of the few functional drive in cinemas left in the entire country."

"You mean people _still_ go there to watch movies? That's so cool."

Amelia turned down a series of side streets, and then eventually stopped at the end of a cul-de-sac, "Well, here we are. Home sweet home." She gazed around the neighborhood, looking for the realtor who was scheduled to meet them. "I guess we're a little early."

"Which one is ours?" Adelaide asked.

Amelia pointed to a quaint, compact looking house, with pale yellow siding and white shutters. There was a brick path that sprawled from the driveway to the front door, and a picturesque, freshly painted, white picket fence around the perfectly portioned square front yard. "Over there. 1313 Cuyahoga Ave."

"1313?" Adelaide repeated. "Bad omen much?"

Amelia opened the car door, "Oh, Addie, don't be ridiculous; besides, it's fives you have to watch out for." She closed the car door behind her.

"What?" Adelaide quickly opened her door and got out of the car, "Why should I watch out for fives?"

Suddenly, a car horn beeped multiple times from behind them, startling Amelia and Adelaide. They both turned quickly to see a young, blonde, woman in a small, red, two-door sports car pull up next to the house. The woman rolled down her window and removed her sunglasses, "Are you Mrs. Matthews?"

"Yes," Amelia answered.

"Great, here, hold this," the woman reached a folder out of the car window for Amelia to take. She didn't turn off her car's ignition; instead, she left it idle while she dug around through her bag for a pen, "Here you go sweetie, just sign and initial the last two pages, and we're all set."

"Aren't you going to show us the house?" Adelaide asked.

The woman seemed annoyed by the girl's question, "I only show houses to clients who are actively looking to buy – your mommy already bought this one." She glanced back up to Amelia, "This is just _a dotting the i's and crossing the t's_ sort of thing. You know, so I can legally hand you the keys." Amelia opened the folder and flipped through the forms, she signed the last two pages and handed the folder back through the woman's car window. The woman gave her a small box with two keys inside. "Enjoy your new home." She put her sunglasses back on, rolled up her window, and quickly sped out of the cul-de-sack.

"Don't worry, Adelaide," Amelia reassured, "I have copies of all the paperwork, and the lease, in my email. That was all taken care of before we left Chicago." Amelia glanced down at her watch, "Well, the movers aren't scheduled to arrive until 1:00pm, but I have an interview I need to get to if I expect to be gainfully employed soon. Are you okay with waiting here at the house by yourself for a couple of hours? I can have Grandma come over and stay with you if you'd like."

"No, that's okay," Adelaide objected, "I'm sure Grandma has better things to do today than sit in an empty house. Besides, I don't need a babysitter. I'll be eighteen in October. Go crush your interview for…"

"Cold Harbor Freight and Cargo Area Loss Prevention and Distribution Manager."

Adelaide laughed, "Seriously? That's like, the longest job title in the world. They should hire you just for being able to remember it."

Amelia echoed her daughter's laughter with her own, "I know, I know. All right, I'm leaving. Call me if you need anything, or if the movers show up early." Amelia opened the box and gave one of the keys to Adelaide. She kissed her daughter tenderly on the forehead, "I love you."

Adelaide unlocked the door to the house and stepped inside. The floors were hardwood, and the doorways were arched with ornate carvings. It felt surprisingly homey, even without any furniture. She walked through the kitchen and found a back door that lead to a patio area behind the house. There were two old rusty lawn chairs sitting underneath the kitchen window. Adelaide guessed they were a generous donation from the previous owners. She took a seat in one of the chairs and pulled out a book from her backpack. In times like this, when she's sitting alone in the backyard of an empty house, she could always count on a good book; she was about ten pages into her reading when she heard a voice call to her from across the yard.

"Les Misérables," Calvin noted. "Good movie." Adelaide looked up from her lap and saw Calvin standing behind the back fence, holding two plastic cups. "Do you like coffee?"

"I don't just like coffee, I'm in a very serious and committed relationship with coffee, actually." She closed her book and tucked it inside her backpack. She walked across the patio and unlocked the back gate for Calvin. "Thank you," she replied as she took the warm cup from Calvin's hand. "This was thoughtful of you."

"Ms. Maggie had me bring it over," Calvin admitted, "but I was more than happy to do it." He smiled and took a sip of his coffee. He joined Adelaide on the patio. "Hey, listen, if you don't have any plans for later tonight, you should come down to The Record House. There's going to be a live band, and a gang of us from the high school will be there. It's the hippest place to be on a Friday night in Sandusky Heights."

"Oh, yeah?" Adelaide asked raising an eyebrow. "Is that where all the cool kids hang out?"

"Totally, but don't worry, I'll put in a good word for you," he winked. Adelaide looked away, avoiding eye contact with Calvin. He realized he had made her uncomfortable, and thought perhaps he had come on too strong with her, or possibly embarrassed or insulted her. He took his social cue gracefully and stood from the patio chair. "Well, I should get going… you know, best not to keep Ms. Maggie waiting."

Adelaide stood as well, "Thanks again for the coffee."

"Anytime." Calvin turned and exited the backyard; he stopped and tossed his hand up as a gesture of goodbye, before closing the gate behind him.


	2. The Record House

**Author's Note:** If you'd like to see a picture of a vintage Indian motorcycle, similar to the one mentioned in this chapter, check out this link: photos/dhwright/4674232145

 **Chapter II: The Record House**

Later that same evening, after the movers had come and gone, and the house was full of unpacked boxes and plastic covered furniture, Amelia, Magdalena, and Adelaide all sat together at the kitchen table, and enjoyed a warm, cheesy pie from Antonio's Pizzeria. Amelia and Magdalena were mundanely discussing which colors to paint the kitchen walls, who was still teaching classes at Sandusky Heights High, and what on earth lead to Charlotte and Henry Kline getting a divorce after forty-two years of marriage. It was pleasantly refreshing to talk about the humdrum activities of daily small town life. Amelia's life back in Chicago had been all about Oliver for the last few years. She had taken exceptional care of him while he was sick, and had the forethought and composure to plan ahead for the inevitability of his passing, which brought up seemingly endless melancholic duties such as: picking out a casket, reserving a church, ordering the headstone, hiring a caterer for the wake, authoring and publishing an obituary, meeting with accountants, paying off his medical bills, repaying the debt he owed the banks, all while managing to be a an unselfish and loving wife and mother the entire time. Now, she was finally released from that heavy burden, scared and bruised, but as resilient as ever; just like Adelaide. It was a beautiful trait they shared as mother and daughter, and Adelaide guessed Magdalena shared it as well.

"Grandma, I meant to thank you for sending the coffee this morning," Adelaide spoke as she finished the last piece of her pizza.

Magdalena threw up her hand carelessly as she sipped her sweet tea, "Oh, it was nothing."

"Coffee?" Amelia questioned, giving Magdalena a suspicious glance.

Magdalena stood from the table and began cleaning her plate in the sink, "Yes, yes, I sent Calvin over with some coffee for Adelaide this morning…"

"Mama, Calvin works for you at the motel, you shouldn't send him on personal errands and deliveries."

"Well, just why not?" Magdalena defended, "He does a good job, and I pay him handsomely. Speaking of handsome…" she teased, "What do you think about Calvin, Adelaide? He sure seems struck by you."

Adelaide blushed lightly, "He seems nice, Grandma. I think he really likes working for you."

Magdalena smiled, "That's sweet of you to say, darling, and I wholeheartedly agree, but I wasn't asking what you thought about him working for me." She finished cleaning her plate, dried it, and placed it on the counter. She leaned back and folded her arms, "You know, Calvin's daddy used to have a crush on your mama, back when they were in high school."

" _Mama_ ," Amelia scolded harshly, "that's old news, and you shouldn't be peddling it."

"Look, all I'm saying is those Darby boys clearly have a thing for us Harper women."

"Mom, seriously, that was twenty-two years ago."

"Sweetie, there are plenty of things in Sandusky Heights that haven't changed in over twenty-two years."

"Yeah, well, that isn't one of them." Amelia stood from her chair; she cleared her and Adelaide's plate from the table and rinsed them off in the sink. She paused to look her mother emphatically in the eye, "Don't try to play cupid, okay? Go shoot those arrows somewhere else." She grabbed a dishtowel off the counter and whipped it towards Magdalena playfully.

Magdalena held up her arms in surrender, "All right, all right, call off the Calvary."

" _Actually_ ," Adelaide interjected as she scooted her chair across the floor, capturing the other women's attention, "Calvin invited me down to The Record House tonight to listen to a live band, and meet some of the other kids from Sandy Heights. I'd like to go…."

" _You would_?" Amelia and Magdalena both asked in unison, one seemingly surprised, the other pleased as punch.

Adelaide smiled and sincerely replied, "Yeah, it sounds like a pretty cool place, and I should probably get started on that whole _making new friends_ thing."

Amelia was hesitant to agree, but finally did so, "Okay, but be home by 10:00pm, and don't go anywhere else besides Record House."

"Deal." Adelaide grabbed her pack off the back of the kitchen chair, "Bye, Grandma." She waved as she closed the backdoor behind her.

"Call me old fashioned, but back in my day, if a boy asked you out on a date, he at least came to pick you up for it," Magdalena griped, "I am going to have to have a talk with…"she stopped her muttering as she met the forewarning glare of Amelia. "Sorry, I forgot, no arrows."

Amelia rolled her eyes and chuckled casually, "Come on, mama, I have a ton of boxes in the living room I could use your help with." She tugged gently on Magdalena's arm.

 **II**

The sun was setting as Adelaide approached The Record House, she could hear the faint sounds of live music playing; she noticed a group of people standing casually by the front entrance, and then she realized one of them was Calvin. He was mingling with other letterman jackets and a couple of blondes that Adelaide perceived as cheerleaders. To buy herself some time, she darted into the alley just behind the corner of the record shop. She thought back to her conversation with Calvin earlier that day; were these who he meant by the "cool kids," jocks and cheerleaders? Adelaide understood very little about sports. Her extra curricular activities had always involved performance art. " _Then again, cheerleading is a type of performing,"_ Adelaide thought to herself. Adelaide shook off her inhibitions, and remained confident. She would seek out the common threads among these new individuals and play it to her advantage.

As Adelaide was about to curve the corner to exit the alley, she heard the loud revving of a motorcycle howl out from behind her. She turned promptly to see a young, rebellious looking man on a vintage, red and gold, Indian motorcycle come cruising down the alleyway. The biker sported a brown leather jacket, boots, and dark aviator sunglasses. He pulled up to the corner of the alley, across from Adelaide, and parked. She noted a wooden baseball bat strapped to the side of his bike, which she found odd, because he certainly didn't appear to be the baseball type. The biker removed his aviators and hung them from the collar of his white shirt, and for a brief moment he held eye contact with Adelaide, but said nothing to her as he walked by and entered the backdoor of The Record House.

Adelaide admired the restoration of the vintage Indian, and wondered if the man had done the work himself. She guessed the frame was World War II era with some mix-matched modifications that gave it a unique look. She pulled out her phone and snapped a quick photo of the bike.

As Adelaide approached the entrance of The Record House, Calvin stepped forward from the group to greet her, "Hey, you made it!" he greeted cheerfully.

"That must be Chicago," said one of the other letterman jackets.

"Her name is Adelaide, Leon. Chicago is the city she's from… wow, haven't you been listening to anything Cal's said? And you guys think I'm the dumb one."

"Roxie, I know who she is," Leon groaned irritably.

Calvin brought Adelaide over to the rest of the gang, and began introducing everyone. He first pointed to an attractive, black male, "That's my buddy Leon; best point guard in all of Ohio. Everyone knows he's going pro." Next, he tossed his arm around a tall, shaggy haired fellow, "This is Jake Athens; you'll be seeing his name in the paper _a lot_ this football season; they don't call him 'Zeus' just because of his last name. This guy throws footballs like lightening bolts into the end zone." He walked up behind the two blondes and placed a hand on each of their backs, "And these two lovely ladies are Roxie and Courtney - Courtney is the cheerleading captain and yearbook editor, and Roxie is… well, Roxie is…"

"Future Homecoming Queen!" Roxie extended her hand, "Nice to meet you."

Adelaide accepted and shook her hand, "It's a pleasure." Adelaide addressed the group, "I really appreciate the invite. I'm a big fan of live performances, and I'm totally banking on a new band t-shirt."

"Seems you're not just a fan of live performance; Cal says you did theater in Chicago?" Leon inquired.

"Just a few musicals and plays at my old high school," Adelaide replied modestly.

Roxie leaned forward, "What's your favorite musical? Mine's _Bring it On._ "

Courtney placed a hand to her forehead, "Jesus Christ, Roxie. _Bring it On_ is not a musical."

A look of frustration crossed Roxie's face, "Uh, yes, it is. I have the soundtrack downloaded on my iTunes."

"Hey, how about we get this party started, huh?" Jake pulled out a flask from his pocket. He took a swig and then passed to Leon who did the same. Leon attempted to hand the flask to Calvin, but Calvin politely refused.

"Hmm… Cal's on good behavior tonight," Roxie teased as she took the flask from Leon.

"I'm always on good behavior," Calvin replied. He opened the door to The Record House as Adelaide, and the rest of his friends, stepped inside.

Leon led the way through the record shop, and into the back warehouse annex where the shop employees had set up a small stage with lights, a few chairs and tables, and a "Non-Alcoholic Refreshments" stand. The hip, underground, industrial feel of the venue was attractive to Adelaide. It coordinated well with the indie rock music style of "Atomic Boom!" Before long, Adelaide was clapping and dancing along with the music. She was released of inhibition, and moved freely among the crowd of people.

Calvin stepped up next to her and handed her a soda. "I'm really glad you made it," he spoke loudly into her ear so she could hear him above the music. "How do you like the band?"

"They're good!" Adelaide shouted.

Calvin laughed in agreement, "Yeah, I think so too!"

About seven or eight songs into the set, Adelaide realized the biker from alley was standing next to the back exit door of the warehouse. He was leaned up against the wall, studying the band intently. He never clapped, her never danced, he never moved; he just stood there, watching, waiting.

Calvin recognized Adelaide was staring at the man and was curious as to why she found him so captivating, "Do you know him?"

"No," Adelaide answered. "I saw him outside earlier."

"Is he bothering you?"

"What? No, he was riding this awesome vintage Indian motorcycle. Check it out." She pulled out her phone and showed Calvin the picture she took earlier, "Pretty cool, huh?"

"All right everybody, this is the last song of the evening!" the lead singer of Atomic Boom! addressed the crowd. "Thank you all for coming out and showing your support! If you haven't already, stop over by the band table, buy a shirt, pick up a copy of our CD, and help us mushroom cloud the sound of Atomic Boom!"

As the band broke into their final song for the evening, the biker disappeared from the back exit door area, and Adelaide excused herself to the restroom only to find herself at the end of a very long line.

"Come on! This line hasn't moved in twenty minutes!" shouted a girl as she thumped on the bathroom door; "I'm about to piss myself out here."

"Romantic, isn't it?" quipped Courtney as she walked up behind Adelaide. "A drunk chick screaming outside the bathroom door, while another drunk chick bangs her boyfriend on the other side."

Adelaide laughed, "Actually, I'm pretty sure that's a scene from a Nicholas Sparks novel."

"A word of advice…" Courtney cautioned, "Don't ever let yourself be the girl on the other side of the bathroom door."

"Yeah, we give out similar advice in Chicago," Adelaide joked.

Courtney pulled Adelaide closer, "Look, I'm going to be honest with you, and do you a big favor, because you're the new girl in town, and you don't know any better. Cal's a player. He acts like the boy next door, but don't let his charm and good looks fool you, he's been with like half the girls in our class."

"That's really none of my business." Adelaide brushed the comment aside, "I don't care who Calvin sleeps with."

"Yeah? Then why'd you come on a date with him?"

Adelaide was taken aback by Courtney's frankness, "This isn't a date… he invited me out to meet other people from school. He works at my Grandmother's motel."

Courtney sneered with skepticism, "Whatever, I warned you." She flipped her hair as she turned and briskly walked away.

Adelaide sighed heavily and then pulled out her phone to check the time. It was almost 9:30pm. Considering it was a fifteen-minute walk back to Cuyahoga Ave, she figured she'd skip the restroom for now, and wrap up the evening. She walked around the warehouse and record shop for several minutes looking for Calvin, but was unable to locate him, or any of his friends. The band had finished their set and was now packing up their gear, and the crowd was dispersing out into the street. As Adelaide exited The Record House, she followed the sounds of people yelling in the alley behind the shop. As she turned the corner, she saw the biker kneeled over the drummer of Atomic Boom! as he lay on the ground, clutching his ribs.

"You really thought I wouldn't find you, you bastard?" the biker mocked. "I'm a slayer… I'll always find you."

"You're no slayer!" the drummer hissed.

"Well, I'm the closest thing this town's got," the biker replied as he stood to his feet, and unstrapped the bat from his motorcycle. "I ought to stab you in the chest with your own drumstick for what you did to that lady over on Euclid Street."

"You talk a big game, boy," the drummer spit a mouth full of blood into the street, "but one day, you'll be waiting at the gates of Hell, just like me. We're not so different, you and I."

"I'm nothing like you," the biker snarled in disgust.

The biker raised his wooden bat into the air, and was about to swing, full force, onto the head of his prey, but Adelaide screamed out to him, causing him to falter; instinctually, he glanced over his shoulder at her. It was enough of an advantage for the drummer to kick the biker's leg out from under him, knocking the biker down to the ground, as he scurried to his feet and fled down the alleyway.

"Damn it!" the biker growled as he grabbed his ankle in pain. He began to run after the band member, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a dark hooded figure with a bow step out from inside the shadows of the alleyway, and pull a single silver tipped arrow from her quiver. She fired the arrow impeccably, striking the drummer precisely in the back of the head. Within seconds, his body skidded across the hard concrete below him and disintegrated into a meager pile of dust. "Show off…" the biker muttered as he turned and limped back towards his bike, propping his bat on his shoulder.

The hooded figure jogged swiftly down the alleyway, removing her bow and quiver, she handed them to the biker who tucked the arrows into the saddlebag of his bike, and secured the bow across his torso. He looked over at Adelaide, who was standing with her back pressed up against the wall of The Record House, her eyes widened and heart pounding.

"What about her?"

"I'll make sure she gets home safely," answered the archer. "Go on, I'll meet you later."

Adelaide watched in suspense as the biker started his engine, and cruised off down the alley, just as mysteriously as he had arrived earlier that evening. The archer cautiously approached Adelaide. Her hood still covered her eyes, but her voice and physical features were clearly feminine, "Relax. I'm not going to hurt you."

Adelaide swallowed heavily, "Wh-what just happened?"

"I'm sorry you had to see that; I couldn't let him get away, not again."

"I don't understand… Who are you?" Adelaide demanded.

"Go home…" the archer instructed. "I promise, I won't let anything happen to you on your way."

Adelaide's face soured, "What are you talking about? Why would anything happen to me?"

Suddenly, Adelaide felt a hand grab her shoulder from behind. She squealed as she jumped and turned quickly.

"Hey, whoa, it's me…" Calvin explained, holding his hands in a non-confrontational manner. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. What are you doing back here?"

Adelaide glanced back down the alley, but the hooded archer had disappeared. She scrambled to compose herself, "Um… nothing… I just saw a fight between these two guys."

Calvin's eyes drifted down the dark, empty alley behind the record shop. "They were probably drunk," Calvin concluded.

"Yeah," Adelaide laughed anxiously, "I'm sure they were hammered."

"Are you okay?" Calvin asked as he checked her over. He sensed something more than witnessing a fight had upset her.

"Totally," Adelaide replied, unconvincingly. "I should get going." She began walking away from The Record House.

Calvin hurried up beside her, "Hey, I'll walk you home."

"No," Adelaide objected, stopping to address Calvin directly, "I mean, thank you, but I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You seem a little frazzled, and Ms. Maggie will be upset if…"

Adelaide interjected, "You don't have to worry about Ms. Maggie, Calvin, but I will, if I don't get home in the next few minutes."

"Hey, Cal, come on, man, we're going to Courtney's house for a pool party!" Jake shouted from across the street.

Leon waved a hand in the air, "You can come too, Chicago!"

Calvin looked back at Adelaide considerately, "I guess I'll see you around?"

"Of course," Adelaide flashed a smile, then watched as Calvin sprinted across the street, and joined up with his friends. She felt her phone buzzing in her pocket; when she checked it, she realized she had two missed calls from Amelia. "Shit…" Adelaide cursed under her breath as she frantically typed out a text message to her mother explaining how the show had just let out, and she was on her way home now.


End file.
